Friends of Weymouth Museum will host a talk on an early nineteenth century shipwreck off Weymouth.

The group are welcoming maritime historian and Portland Museum trustee, David Carter, to give a talk on the ‘Wordsworth shipwreck’ of 1805.

Named after the ship’s captain, John Wordsworth, who was brother of renowned romantic poet William Wordsworth, it sank due to a combination of human error and stormy weather 1.5 miles east of Weymouth’s Stone Pier on February 5, 1805, after striking the Shambles Bank.

Mr Carter will explore the reasons for the disaster, the subsequent salvage and archaeological excavation by an amateur team that has culminated in the transfer of the finds to Portland Museum and the granting of protection by Scheduling from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England in August this year, as well as the future of the wreck site and the recovered finds.

The talk will be held in Hope United Reformed Church on Trinity Street in Weymouth on Monday, November 25. Doors open at 2pm and the talk will start at 2.30pm. 

Tickets will be available on the door and are £2.00 for members of the Friends and £3.00 for visitors.